According to a survey conducted by Radboud University in Nijmegen, nearly half of the primary and secondary schools in the Netherlands are facing a shortage of 1 to 6 teachers for the

upcoming academic year. The situation is even more severe for 5% of schools, as they are actively searching for seven or more teachers, as reported by Telegraaf.

The teacher shortage is a widespread issue affecting schools across the country, from rural areas to the major cities. Many schools are now considering drastic measures to cope with the situation.

For instance, the board of the Christian School Community Walcheren, which oversees secondary schools in Middelburg and Vlissingen, took the extraordinary step of sending a letter to parents, requesting their help in recruiting teachers during the summer vacation. The school community currently has vacancies for positions such as French, Dutch, philosophy, technology, physics, and chemistry.

To manage the situation, the Walcheren management informed parents that they might have to reduce the number of lessons for lower year levels to ensure the continuation of classes for upper years. Additionally, certain activities might be at risk of cancellation due to the shortage of teaching staff.

The Foundation for Working Parents has also been receiving numerous messages about schools contemplating implementing four-day school weeks due to the lack of available teachers. This shift in tone from schools indicates that they are struggling to find enough qualified educators and are resorting to alternative measures.

Marjet Winsemuis, the chairman of the foundation, expressed criticism towards schools' approach, stating that schools should take more responsibility in dealing with the issue. While she acknowledged that education is not childcare, she emphasized that it is an important secondary task. The negative messages from schools are causing stress for parents, including financial concerns, and may lead to some parents having to reduce their work hours to care for their children.

Last month, the Education Council recommended that the government consider limiting the educational offer to manage teacher shortages. This could entail reducing the number of lessons for students while keeping the teaching time for teachers the same. For example, students might attend school for four days, with the fifth day having non-compulsory and non-educational activities that don't require qualified teachers. Photo by Michiel1972, Wikimedia commons.